Contest #2 - Sneak Preview

The mid-level system behind this weekend/s impending nor'easter...and Contest Storm #2...is coming ashore along the SW CONUS coast this evening. This will be the first opportunity for the upper air network to sample this feature and provide 'real' data about it during the 00z NWP model initialization.

All of the model runs up until now have incorporated ACARS and derived cloud track / H20v satellite-derived winds. These remote observing platforms provide valuable data to the models but it/s not as good as the data from rawindsondes.